In a conventional glass sheet processing system referred to as a side exit glass sheet forming system, a heated glass sheet is conveyed in a longitudinal direction of conveyance along a roller conveyor comprised of a plurality of conveyor rolls. The positioning is performed upstream or at a forming station on the roller conveyor that transports the glass sheet. A male vacuum mold, at an elevation above the conveyor rolls, is movable vertically with respect to the roller conveyor to receive the heated glass sheet. The heated glass sheet is picked up as the vacuum mold descends over the positioned glass sheet on the roller conveyor, lift jets are activated to lift the glass sheet up to the vacuum mold and a vacuum force is actuated. The mold is then elevated with the glass sheet attached to the mold by the vacuum action. A glass sheet processing ring is subsequently positioned below the vacuum mold and glass sheet. The glass sheet processing ring may be a press ring, quench ring or combination press-quench ring.
As the glass sheet is positioned on the roller conveyor, there is the occasional surface damage to the glass sheet which occurs when the glass sheet is slid on the conveyor rolls. Also, the positioning of the glass upstream of the forming section does not lend itself to the glass sheet positioning accuracy required in today's tight tolerance glass sheet applications.